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Australian Light Anti-Gas Respirator
|country = |period = 1943-1944 |issued = |manufacturer = Kenworth Spalding Ansell|next = M17}} The Australian Light Anti-Gas Respirator or better know as ALAG was based on the British Respirator, Anti-Gas, Light Mk IIA but with many differences. Overview Australian Army Respirator, Anti-Gas, Light, is a unique variant of the British Light Anti-Gas Respirator. Produced in Australia, the respirator was the worlds first camouflaged gas mask, an innovation intended to aid the mask user during jungle warfare in the Pacific. The mask achieved this camouflaged effect by mixing three different coloured rubber batches together, with the different colours being black, green and brown. Variants Mk.1: Uses Mk. III eyepieces and the L1 harness. The L1 exhale assembly also features an all-black paint job. Mk.2: Uses the same eyepieces (Mk. III) as the Mk I, however, features a new 7 strap head harness, which was based off the British Light Anti-Gas Respirator's L2 harness, with the additional 7th strap connecting to the filter intake to act as a filter support. Mk.2/A: Features the same eyepieces seen with the Mk III GSR, without the threading, as well as the newer head harness from the Mk II. Haversack The ALAG was issued with two different haversacks, which were both different from the traditional British Light Anti-Gas Respirator Light I & II carriers. They differed from the British counterpart by featuring a Lift-A-Dot system instead of a simple canvas or webbing pull tab. The two Australian haversacks were: The "All Brown" haversack: As the name suggests the haversack is made in an all-brown colour. The haversack also features similar ring styled hip strap connectors to the regular LAG haversack, however, the rings on the ALAG haversack are not as thick. "Tropical" Multicoloured haversack: Different parts of the haversack are made in two different colours. Also uses a new hip strap connector Manufacturers Three different manufacturers produced the ALAG facepiece, being Kenworth, Spalding and Ansell. The mask would be both fully assembled and upgraded at the Munitions Supply Laboratories, Maribyrnong (Now known as Defence Site Maribyrnong) in Melbourne, Australia. The head harness for the Mk2 and Mk2/A as well as the haversack were made by Michaelis, Hallenstein & Company, more commonly known as MH & Co. An unknown company called "S.M & Co" also made the upgraded head harness. The upgraded head harness for the Mk2 and Mk2/A are from 1944, with the haversacks being made in 1943 The filters for the ALAG were made by a Melbourne metalworking company known as Willow, who also produced filters for the Australian made Mk.IV and Mk.V General Service Respirators. Filter Two-tone Dark and Light Green painted cylindrical L2 canister filter with two different size cork stoppers for sealing the filter and mouthpiece openings are connected by a short length of cotton tape. The Light Green was the first coat of paint, with the Dark green following afterwards. Some filters appear to have somewhat of a camouflage pattern, however, this could also be because the second layer of paint wearing off over time Photos 20191108 180006.jpg|From left to right: Mk1, Mk2 and the Mk2/A Note: The haversack on the far left was not issued with the ALAG, it is just a regular British haversack used for comparison with the Australian counterpart 20191122 220810.jpg|Mk.1 Australian Light Anti-Gas Respirator 20191122 220830.jpg|Mk.2 Australian Light Anti-Gas Respirator 20191122 220846.jpg|Mk.2/A Australian Light Anti-Gas Respirator 20191122 220939.jpg|Mk.1 head harness (L1) 20191122 220956.jpg|Mk.2 and Mk.2/A head harness (Note the 7th strap on the lower left) 20191112 132715.jpg|The 'hook' around the filter intake that the 7th strap attaches to 20191112 132628.jpg|The 7th filter support strap being connected to its respected 'hook' around the filter inlet Screenshot 20191109-203404 Gallery.jpg|Ansell manufacturing stamp Screenshot 20191007-133631 Gallery.jpg|Kenworth manufacturing stamp 73087198 1709105649234444 1075592950609608704 n.jpg|Spalding manufacturing stamp Screenshot 20191122-220925 Gallery.jpg|Willow manufacturing stamp seen on the filter 20191122 220858.jpg|A selection of L2 containers issued with the ALAG 75199794 177922036664216 2710567123364610048 n.jpg|The two ALAG haversacks (Far left and far right) next to their British counterpart Source * https://www.australiangasmasks.com/australian-light-anti-gas-respirator * https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL25222.002References Category:Military Gas Masks Category:World War II Era Mask Category:Full Face Masks Category:Australia